Aug. 9 - HeartChase, a pilot program of the American Heart Association, organizational meeting. Site and time to be determined. Volunteers, sponsors and participants are needed. To learn more, contact Natalie McLarty at mrstexas2010@gmail.com or Ashley Huckaby at Ashley.Huckaby@heart.org or visit www.heartchase.org.

Nonprofit Network of the Golden Crescent

Since early 2009, a group of leaders in the Victoria area nonprofit community have gathered on a regular basis to share ideas, seek solutions and sometimes collaborate efforts.

Now known as the Nonprofit Network of the Golden Crescent, some members of the group think it might be time to become more formally organized and join the 50-year-old organization the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

According to an association brochure, it has more than 30,000 members. For the Victoria group, this would vastly increase professional networking possibilities and provide other benefits to the membership agencies.

Sandra Neeley, development officer with Devereux Texas-Victoria, addressed the network meeting last week about joining the association.

"I have been a member for three years now and have found their resources to be outstanding," she said.

Neeley said nonprofit agencies can benefit from being in the association for a number of reasons.

"The AFP Chapter will offer us quality presentations and training without leaving town focusing on topics important to the not-for-profit community," she said.

She also noted the association's weekly newsletters and other resources, board and volunteer recruitment, education and motivation ideas and board succession planning tools would benefit local agencies.

Dennis Brown, executive director of the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent, is already a member of the national group.

"I have held the certification of a certified fundraising executive for nearly 20 years and it helped on a number of occasions to advance my career in the nonprofit sector," he said.

Neeley said the association is a dues-paying organization and that 15 members are needed to form a chapter.

Leaders of nonprofit agencies in the Golden Crescent who are interested in forming a local Association of Fundraising Professionals chapter should contact Brown at 361-578-0591, Neeley at 361-574-7127 or Kathy Hunt, network facilitator, at kathyhunt@suddenlink.net.